Ok, I've been waiting to hear from anyone regarding Huberdeau . . . have him in my keeper pool (got him last year as my rookie and of course he ended up not playing a game for Florida).

I can only keep 8 players out of 25, and then we re-draft . . . and we do have a new rookie category now as well. So my big decision is whether to have him among my keepers, or to leave him off and risk not re-acquiring him in the draft.

Anyone know what he is looking like in terms of progress, where he might fit into the line-up, etc?

Slozo Huberdeau is likely to be the number 2 centre behind Stephen Weiss skating on a line with Bergenheim and Skille/Weiss. That does not sound that impressuve to me and I am not expecting big things from him. Go Habs Go I think you need some more options in your poll. What about Swedish Elite league MVP Jacob Silfverberg, Mark Schiefle, Charlie Coyle, Jaden Shwarty, Mika Zibanejad. This is a very strong rookie class and I have no idea who to pick.

But Sensfan, with Stephen Weiss as your top line centre, THAT is the whole reason I really want to keep Huberdeau. You know? He's getting top line minutes and pp time, yet barely manages 60 points in his best years (57 last year). Huberdeau, if he shows great promise/skill . . . could easily make that top line by the end of the year.

For me, the best chance for rookies are weaker rosters for their position, and Florida is a great example of that for Huberdeau. Sheifele in Winnipeg is another one, he has a great chance this year I think.

Slozo, I would add Bartschi to your list. Calgary has one of the weakest groups of top 6 forwards in the NHL today. Iginla, Cammellarri, Hudler, Tanguay, Bartschi, and likely Backlund? Weak. I think Bartschi will get all sorts of time on the PP and potentially could be on the top line by the end of the year.

I would put him as my pre-season Calder winner.

Daniel Alfredsson is the MVP of the universe. All hail the Ottawa Senators!!!!!

But Sensfan, with Stephen Weiss as your top line centre, THAT is the whole reason I really want to keep Huberdeau. You know? He's getting top line minutes and pp time, yet barely manages 60 points in his best years (57 last year). Huberdeau, if he shows great promise/skill . . . could easily make that top line by the end of the year.

For me, the best chance for rookies are weaker rosters for their position, and Florida is a great example of that for Huberdeau. Sheifele in Winnipeg is another one, he has a great chance this year I think.

"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug

Good point Slozo I never really thought of it that way. There is no doubt Huberdeau has the skill to succeed at the NHL level my only concern would be his skating. My homer pick is Silfverberg. He won the regular season and playoff mvp in the SEL which is quite a big deal and he will likely start the season on a line with Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek.

Well, if your kid honestly starts on a line with Spezza and Michalek . . . you're damn straight he'd be a contender! If he's good enough to warrant being paired with Spezza, that would be huge in terms of point potential.

I like your Bartschi pick, Beans. I disagree perhaps on how exactly weak Calgary's top 6 is, but your point is well made. And he has already competed and skated with pros in Europe, and looks to be a guy who can certainly score.

It will be a wide-open year, no doubt. I do think Yakupov might be seen as the front-runner (before the season start), but . . . going by criteria for ice-time and physical readiness, I put him behind a couple of guys. He won't be the right winger ahead of Eberle, that is for sure, so second line time and second unit power play time (barring injuries) is the highest he is likely to go this year. And he's not as big as I thought he was . . . how he fares in the rough and tough Western Conference also remains to be seen.

Yakupov is probably the Oilers 2nd line winger playing with Gagner maybe.

Granlund has already been penciled in as the second line centre on the Wild (with Setoguchi and an improved offense).

Huberdeau probably starts 2nd line C with Bergenheim, but certainly has an opportunity to supplant Weiss if he excels.

Bartschi is pencilled in 2nd line with Backlund/Stajan behind Tanguay . . . would have to have a very good rookie campaign I'd think to supplant him, but could happen.

Scheifele would have to supplant Little or Jokinen in Winnipeg . . . actually seems unlikely.

Guys who haven't been mentioned for some reason:

Tarasennko (Blues) - has already competed against grown men and excelled, in Europe. He has speed and skill to burn. This guy can play centre or wing and is extremely versatile. This could be the frontrunner for the Calder, my friends.

Kreider (NYR) - a great intro into the NHL by being a clutch playoff performer (first two NHL goals were playoff game winners, how amazing is that?), this kid could slide up to replace Gaborik until he comes back. Not seen as having the high end skill as some of the others here, but . . . he has already shown us he can score, so who knows?

For defencemen, Dougie Hamilton will get a great chance on a good defensive club in Boston . . . it sets up as a great situation for him there, I think (although he must fail - see: Kessel).

I agree for Hamilton, he will probably have great stats with the Bruins, and will have an important role some by the end of the season. But Kreider had 2 goals...how is thats extraordinary ? He's a great prospect, alright. But in the calder competition ? Nah...the competition is too high this year. Scheiffele won't get time on the first 2 lines, and is Tarasenko a sure thing in the NHL ? He might not be playing in the NHL this year...his agent recently said that no decision was made.

I picked those 4 players (yaku,sven,granlund,johnny) in the poll, because all 4 of them should be playing in a top-6 role, and will have PP time, so they should be the ones competing for the point race, although there's always a surprise factor.

But Sensfan, with Stephen Weiss as your top line centre, THAT is the whole reason I really want to keep Huberdeau. You know? He's getting top line minutes and pp time, yet barely manages 60 points in his best years (57 last year). Huberdeau, if he shows great promise/skill . . . could easily make that top line by the end of the year.

For me, the best chance for rookies are weaker rosters for their position, and Florida is a great example of that for Huberdeau. Sheifele in Winnipeg is another one, he has a great chance this year I think.

"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug

Good point Slozo I never really thought of it that way. There is no doubt Huberdeau has the skill to succeed at the NHL level my only concern would be his skating. My homer pick is Silfverberg. He won the regular season and playoff mvp in the SEL which is quite a big deal and he will likely start the season on a line with Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek.

But Sensfan, with Stephen Weiss as your top line centre, THAT is the whole reason I really want to keep Huberdeau. You know? He's getting top line minutes and pp time, yet barely manages 60 points in his best years (57 last year). Huberdeau, if he shows great promise/skill . . . could easily make that top line by the end of the year.

For me, the best chance for rookies are weaker rosters for their position, and Florida is a great example of that for Huberdeau. Sheifele in Winnipeg is another one, he has a great chance this year I think.

"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug

Good point Slozo I never really thought of it that way. There is no doubt Huberdeau has the skill to succeed at the NHL level my only concern would be his skating. My homer pick is Silfverberg. He won the regular season and playoff mvp in the SEL which is quite a big deal and he will likely start the season on a line with Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek.

You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take Wayne Gretzky

do you think that Silfverberg will get more points then zibanejad?

If I had to guess I would say yes. Silfverberg is older and more mature than Zibanejad. He will also likely be playing with better players as I would guess Mika will start on a line with Zack Smith and Chris Neil. In addition Mika will have to learn to play a new position as he has been a centre most of his career. Mika is not even guaranteed a spot on the team but if he outplays Jacob he will get a spot in the top 6 so it is really tough to say.

I agree for Hamilton, he will probably have great stats with the Bruins, and will have an important role some by the end of the season. But Kreider had 2 goals...how is thats extraordinary ? He's a great prospect, alright. But in the calder competition ? Nah...the competition is too high this year. Scheiffele won't get time on the first 2 lines, and is Tarasenko a sure thing in the NHL ? He might not be playing in the NHL this year...his agent recently said that no decision was made.

I picked those 4 players (yaku,sven,granlund,johnny) in the poll, because all 4 of them should be playing in a top-6 role, and will have PP time, so they should be the ones competing for the point race, although there's always a surprise factor.

"Bon point Jacques!" - Benoît Brunet

Chris Kreider had his FIRST 2 NHL GOALS as game-winners in the playoffs . . . that does not mean he only scored 2 goals, silly Habs fan. All you actually have to do is look up Chris Kreider - google him yourself - and you can find out he had 5 goals, 2 assists in 18 games this last spring. His five playoff goals before ever playing an NHL regular season game are a new NHL record as well.

Strome is highly ranked by everyone as well, yes. Problem with him is, he is a centre on a young and offensively competent team with Tavares, Nielsen and Bailey at his position. Would be tough to put him on the second line if imagining how the season might play out, so I honestly don't see the potential for a lot of points, IF he even sticks with the club.

The more I read up on rookies, the more and more I think I am not keeping Huberdeau. I REALLY really like this Tarasenko kid . . . he is my pick for the Calder at this point.

I think yakupov is the favourite as any 1st overall pick is coming into the year, especially since he'll be playing on an elite offensive line. He might get 30 goals without even trying.

I thought the top line was hall-rnh-Ebs but I may be wrong. Still, yakupov can get good points playing with any of hemsky/gagner/smyth/jones.... Thirty goals is a stretch tho.

66 is > than 99

Guest4315 ( )

Posted - 08/18/2012 : 14:12:21

How about J.Schultz,Sure he's not NHL proven but none of them are. He went to Edmonton because he will get more ice-time and will have an elite offense in front of him. Also it's not everyday or even every year a defensmen wins the Calder. I will pick him since no one else has. Pencil me in for the longshot!